Job description

This post is part of an EPSRC-funded Prosperity Partnership with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) on vehicle electrification. The role-holder will be part of a larger team at JLR and the University of Warwick investigating the challenge of battery lifetime and monitoring.  At King’s, you will be joining a new department with new laboratory facilities and will work closely with a strong existing relationship with JLR and University of Warwick.  

Current work in the Prosperity Partnership has achieved the measurement of distributed cell surface temperature, distributed cell internal temperature, and strain monitoring using fibre optic sensors. To build on this activity,  the research in this project at King’s will develop a predictive physics-based model that integrates a battery cell electrochemistry with a thermal model to provide a system that can be used to optimize battery life requirements and/or transient cooling strategies depending on the user’s needs. The measurements will also inform protocols for battery cooling, as constant cooling can cause deterioration of the battery.

This project will lay the foundation to enable:

• Design of alternative cooling strategies.
• Quantification of a subset of conditions that lead to thermal runaway or localised short circuiting.
• Quantification of heat generation in varying realistic operating conditions.

You will be part of an active research programme in the Prosperity Partnership with weekly and monthly meetings with the project investigators and with JLR. 

Candidates with a background in Thermal Engineering or Electrochemistry are particularly encouraged to apply, ideally with some experimental experience in either field. 

This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract for 22 months. 

This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities

• You will be working in a friendly and vigorous research environment and collaborating with a cross disciplinary team. Your research will focus on:
• Analysis of experimental data on distributed cell surface temperature, internal temperature, strain, and thermal gradients during battery ageing
• Experimental quantification of heat fluxes across the surface of a variety of cells in different operating conditions.
• Development of a model in a Multiphysics software linking physical thermal measurements to an electrochemistry model, incorporating the resulting transient thermal behaviour.
• Close collaboration with our industry and academic partners to couple the model with existing data, leading to a predictive physics-based model that integrates a battery cell electrochemistry model with a thermal model

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria 

• PhD (awarded or pending) in relevant subject area
• Good knowledge and research experiences in mathematical modelling
• Knowledge of lithium-ion battery thermal processes
• Excellent skills in communication and collaboration in dynamic and cross-disciplinary environment.
• Highly motivated and enthusiastic to deliver research within timeline

Desirable criteria 

• Research experience in thermal engineering or lithium-ion battery modelling
• Proficiency in a multi physics software (Ansys or COMSOL)
• Research track record commensurate with career stage.

*Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.